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SB 304

Specific Medical Diagnoses in Child Protective Investigations

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Mack Bernard and 6 co-sponsors

Florida bill requiring child welfare investigators to account for medical diagnoses resembling abuse to prevent wrongful family separation based on misidentified injuries.

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Bill Summary · SB 304

Legislative bill overview

SB 304 would require Florida's Department of Children and Families (DCF) to consider specific medical diagnoses—such as osteogenesis imperfecta, glutaric aciduria, and other conditions that can mimic abuse—when investigating suspected child abuse cases. The bill aims to prevent misidentification of medical conditions as intentional injuries, which could lead to wrongful child removal or parental prosecution.

Why is this important

Medical conditions can produce injuries (bruising, fractures, bleeding) visually identical to abuse, creating significant risk of false accusations against parents and unnecessary family separation. Implementing diagnostic awareness into investigations could protect vulnerable children with rare diseases from being removed from safe homes while also improving investigation accuracy overall.

Potential points of contention

  • Evidentiary burden: Critics may worry the bill could make it harder to substantiate legitimate abuse cases if medical explanations become too readily accepted without thorough investigation
  • Implementation complexity: Requiring DCF investigators to evaluate extensive medical conditions could delay investigations, create inconsistent application, or demand expertise beyond typical caseworker training
  • Scope concerns: Defining which diagnoses qualify and how narrowly or broadly to apply the standard creates practical and legal ambiguity

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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